Intake Specialist, Children’s Legal Services Department

Job Overview: We are expanding our team to include an Immigration Intake Specialist for unaccompanied children including Unaccompanied Afghan Minors (UAMs) and Unaccompanied Ukrainian Minors (UUMs). The Immigration Intake Specialist will serve as the central point of contact for unaccompanied children who need a legal intake and legal services referrals. This position involves working directly with diverse unaccompanied children and sponsors across the country, remotely, and in a fast-paced environment while maintaining professional standards and best practices for client appointments and communication. This position reports to the Supervising Attorney and works closely with other members of the ImportaMí legal team and other IRC office legal teams.

Responsibilities:

• Review weekly reports and ensure that outreach efforts are made according to established protocols.
• Conduct legal screenings for eligible unaccompanied children including Unaccompanied Afghan Minors and Unaccompanied Ukrainian Minors, with an interpreter, as needed.
• Under the supervision of the Supervising Attorney, provide unaccompanied children and sponsors with information on possible forms of relief they may be eligible for and relevant legal service referrals to pro bono, low-bono, and private attorneys.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge and eligibility criteria for immigration legal services.
• Schedule appointments and follow up on calls to ensure intakes and relevant referrals are provided to unaccompanied children and sponsors.
• Maintain and update cases in Unaccompanied Children Legal Services Database (UCLS) and UCORD and provide reports to funder, as requested. Liaise with the IRC HQ team on data requests and reports to funder on a monthly and semi-annual basis.
• Answer calls and texts via phone and WhatsApp and accept warm referrals from IRC offices and Afghan POCs, based on established protocols.
• Escalate cases to Supervising Attorney and Crisis Response Officer, and Protection Specialists, as necessary, based on established safety protocols.
• Schedule client appointments and send reminder text messages and/or phone calls.
• Arrange for interpretation with approved providers, for legal intakes, as needed.
• Conduct monthly file review and report.
• Create electronic files and ensure relevant documentation is provided to facilitate consultations and placement with an attorney.
• Other tasks and projects as assigned.

Team Collaboration

• The Immigration Intake Specialist will report to the Supervising Attorney, Children’s Legal Services.
• They will work closely with IRC’s HQ immigration and legal services teams.

Job Requirements:

• College degree in a social justice, immigrants’ rights, community advocacy or a related field preferred.
• 1-3 years of relevant professional experience preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish required. Fluency in spoken and written English is required (B2 or greater).
• Knowledge of and interest in learning about immigration law and related benefits for unaccompanied children.
• Experience working with immigrants and refugees OR lived experience with displacement or the immigration system.
• High emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrated success working and communicating effectively in a multi-cultural environment
• An understanding of the subtlety of language and how to communicate effectively with diverse children and sponsors.
• Self-starter with excellent problem-solving skills combined with the proven ability to multi-task, prioritize duties and manage time effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail required.
• Interest and ability to contribute both independently and as a key team member.
• Strong computer proficiency and well acquainted with basic software tools – ability to navigate autonomously in Windows, Android, Microsoft 365 Suite, and Google docs.

Working Environment***:***

• This is a fully remote position. All work must be performed in one of the 50 states.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12 month time period.